Category: IA-01

While summer is beginning to wind down for most Americans, for members of Congress, it’s just getting started. The U.S. House of Representatives began its summer recess Monday and will return to Washington Sept. 9. In the Senate, lawmakers adjourn Friday and will reconvene Sept. 9 with the House. Iowa’s three Democratic members of the House kept busy in the first half of 2019, churning out legislation to improve the lives of their constituents. Here are some recent highlights: Rep. Abby Finkenauer — 1st District Helping Communities Invest in Rural Infrastructure Act: As vice-chair of the Highways and Transit subcommittee, Finkenauer works closely […]

Iowa’s Democratic Reps. Abby Finkenauer, Cindy Axne and Dave Loebsack were among the 231 House members to vote in favor today of a bill raising the federal minimum wage to $15 per hour by 2025. “It has been over a decade since the minimum wage has been increased, the longest period in U.S. history,” said 2nd District Congressman Loebsack, in a statement. “And in order to maintain a basic standard of living, it is imperative that the wage is increased.” Loebsack said a $15 minimum wage would “give 33 million workers nationwide a raise, including 131,000 people” in the 2nd […]

While the U.S. House was engaged in a high-profile floor fight over the President’s tweets, Iowa Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer stayed above the fray and continued to work on a number of key pieces of legislation. “Glimpse into my world in Congress that’s very different than what you see on TV at night: Passing 5 bills out of Small Business right now, all bipartisan, all standing up for our veterans,” Finkenauer said on Twitter Wednesday. In a series of tweets, the 1st District congresswoman highlighted bills supporting military reservists and veterans who aspire to be entrepreneurs. Others provided financial support to […]

Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer highlighted the stories of two Iowans this week who were scammed by a for-profit educational institution, in hopes of codifying legislation to relieve them of their student loan debt. Army veteran Jeff O’Brien of Cedar Rapids and Julie Rohret of Williamsburg attended a press conference with Finkenauer at Kirkwood Community College in Cedar Rapids to share their experiences with the now defunct ITT Technical Institute. “ITT Technical Institute did nothing for me but take my time and money,” said O’Brien, who, after only four months on the ITT Tech campus in Cedar Rapids, was told his degree […]

Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer has taken a concern about Iowa workers’ safety directly to Gov. Kim Reynolds with a letter outlining recent assaults at state facilities and Reynolds’ administration’s effort to reduce the number of public sector jobs. Finkenauer said in a June 7 letter to the governor, “The gutting of collective bargaining rights — most notably with the passage of House File 291 in 2017 — and significant reductions to staffing have undermined protections for our state employees to the point where their physical safety is now at risk.” The congresswoman’s letter, which requests information on the state’s “protocols and […]

Photos clockwise from top-left: Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer (IA-01), former State Senator Rita Hart (IA-02), Congressman Steve King (IA-04), Congresswoman Cindy Axne (IA-03. Not only is Iowa ground zero for the dozens of Democratic presidential candidates competing for Iowans’ support in 2020, the state will also play a pivotal role in the battle for control of the U.S. House. Though Democrats feel good about their chances to retain at least three of Iowa’s four congressional seats, given President Donald Trump’s popularity among Republicans and the party’s control of state politics, a GOP takeover of the districts is not impossible. There’s a […]

A new seven-figure ad campaign will promote the work of Cindy Axne and Abby Finkenauer for their efforts to protect Iowans with pre-existing conditions and reduce the cost of care and prescription drugs. The national group Protect Our Care is running the ad campaign, called “Better Care, Lower Costs” across the country, focusing on twenty districts, including Iowa’s 1st and 3rd districts. Last week, Protect Our Care launched its first digital ads in support of these 20 House members that promoted Axne’s and Finkenauer’s support for the Strengthening Health Care and Lowering Prescription Drug Costs Act (H.R. 987), which seeks […]

Two weeks ago, Congresswoman Abby Finkenauer presided over the U.S. House chamber, sitting in the Speaker’s chair as the chamber discussed and passed a major flood relief package. The bill was of particular importance to Iowa, which has seen crippling flooding in recent months. Congresswoman Cindy Axne, who made history last year with Finkenauer as the first female members of the House from Iowa, stood in the well and explained her amendment that added funds for the state. It was an important moment for Iowa, with both of their newly-elected female representatives prominently involved in a major federal aid effort […]